> I think Fukushima shows that reactor accidents will happen from time to time, and when they happen, it's a disaster. IMO, the most important thing about Fuku

> I think Fukushima shows that reactor accidents will happen from time to time, and when they happen, it's a disaster. IMO, the most important thing about Fukushima is not how much damage it might or might not have caused. The most important thing about Fukushima, is that it counters the argument that "Chernobyl could only happen because it was a bad Russian design" (often with an implied emphasis on it being a Russian design, instead of just being a bad design). The Fukushima reactors were not of a "bad Russian design", and yet the containment was breached and radioactive isotopes escaped. That is: before Fukushima, one could dismiss Chernobyl with a "this can't happen here". After Fukushima, it's harder to make that argument.